He was born in Gunma prefecture 群馬県伊勢崎市国定町, into a noble home.
He later became a gambler and yakuza and roamed the area of Shinshu and Mount Akagi 赤城山南麓. He killed some officials, who were after him, like 島村伊三郎 and 玉村の主馬 and the detective Kansuke from Edo, 三室勘助.

He was put to death by crucification on January 22, 1851, together with 12 of his underlings (kobun 子分"children" ). The place was surrounded by heavy bamboo fences and 300 officers stood gard, because they feared his friends would come to his rescue. More than 1500 local people had gathered, to see the "noble gambler" get his official punishment. He was pierced by 15 spears before he finally died. Then his head was cut off and paraded through the area (sarashi kubi 晒し首).

After his death, legends began to build around this "noble yakuza" and he became more of a local hero. At the place of his punishment 大戸関所, a Jizo statue was errected to pacify his soul. When people offered incense there, their own illness of palsy would heal (since Chuji also suffered from palsy).
Or they would win in gambling (like Chuji).
Songs were written about Chuji and Mount Akagi and movies were cast with the popular hero.

国定忠治は鬼より怖い、にっこり笑って人を切るKunisada is more develish than the devil.
He smiles when he kills a person.

People from Akagi placed an old Jizo statue on his memorial place and clad the statue in the typical straw hat and falling robe of a yakuza.

When Chuji was in charge of the area of Akagi during the famines, he used his own money to provide food for the farmers and was well loved. He was kind of the famous "Robin Hood" of his area. They still honor his memory to this day.

famine of Tempo 天保の大飢饉

His famous last words were

赤城の山も今宵限りか
Akagi no yama mo koyoi kagiri ka

赤城の山も今夜を限り
生まれ故郷の国定の村や
縄張りを捨て国を捨て
可愛い子分のてめえ達とも
別れ別れになる首途（かどで)

吾妻郡東吾妻町大戸

Now tourist buses come to this Jizo spot and souvenir shops flank the approach to it along the Old Road to Shinshu (Shinshuu kaidoo 信州街道).